A LATE Craig Stewart equaliser was scant consolation for a Castle side that endured a Tuesday evening of utter frustration, against a side they had defeated comprehensively less than a week before.

Unbelievably, Doune lost a goal within 15 seconds. From kick off, an attacker took advantage when Stuart Foster lost his footing. He drove to the byeline and crossed.

Paddy Gallagher tried to head clear and knocked the ball high in the air. It dropped kindly for the Rhu player who, from only a few yards out, somehow squeezed the ball over the line between Alan McGirr and his near post.

For the remainder of the half, Doune laid siege to the Rhu goal.

The home side were guilty of careless finishing with Alan More, Robbie Hurst. David Innes and Colin Burke all spurning decent chances. When they did break through a packed defence, they found the Rhu keeper in quite inspirational form.

Despite at least seven, or eight, clear-cut chances. Doune ended the first period still behind by that earliest of finishes.

On the restart, Rhu actually defended even more deeply.

To the home side’s credit, they patiently passed the ball around patiently trying to prise the opening that would give them the equaliser they undoubtedly deserved. However, Rhu were content to flood the penalty area and clear-cut chances became harder and harder to create in the crowded box.

If anything, in the second period Doune had even more direct efforts on goal. That same fateful combination of wasteful finishing and great goalkeeping kept the away side ahead.

With the game in its dying moments Doune pushed everyone forward and even keeper McGirr was in the Rhu half. Just when it seemed Doune’ evening would end with the most unlikely of defeats, they finally made the breakthrough their constant barrage of the Rhu goal deserved.

Stuart White was the architect with a piercing, diagonal ball forward from a deep right position. Craig Stewart darted forward to get to the ball slightly ahead of the advancing keeper and glanced a neat header over the outstretched keeper’s arms and into the net from 16 yards to make it 1-1.

Doune continued the siege of the Rhu goal in the closing three minutes, but the away side clung on to snatch the most unlikely point and leave Doune regretting their sheer wastefulness in front of goal.